


Seven's Heart

by Widget



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-14
Updated: 2013-04-14
Packaged: 2017-12-08 11:22:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/760784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Widget/pseuds/Widget
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven and B'Elanna find themselves in a life threatening situation while on an away mission and end up stranded.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager belongs to Paramount/Viacom and sadly not to me and no infringement of copyright is intended.

The shuttle shuddered as it screamed through the atmosphere, the outer hull heating up with the friction. The glow, at first a dull, sullen red, brightened quickly to an almost incandescent white.  
  
"B'Elanna, what is our status? B'Elanna? Lieutenant Torres?" The tall, blonde ex-Borg called out to her companion, worry just barely noticeable under her usual cool tone. "Lieutenant!" she barked, worry now definitely audible as she struggled to keep the speeding shuttle at the optimum angle for re-entry into the planet's atmosphere.  
  
A moan sounded from behind her, followed by ominous silence. Risking a quick glance behind her, Seven of Nine, formerly the Tertiary Adjunct to the Unimatrix Zero One and more recently the Chief of Astrometrics onboard the Federation Starship Voyager, saw the Chief Engineer slumped over her console, the only thing keeping her in her seat being the emergency harness. Blood was flowing from various cuts and contusions, a worrisome lump and the large accompanying bruise on her right temple.  
  
"Shields at 40%", the dulcet tones of the shuttle's computer at total odds with the red emergency lighting, flashing warning lights on numerous control panels and sparks from damaged consoles.  
  
The totally unexpected micro meteor shower hidden behind the leading edge of an ion storm had wreaked havoc on the shuttle. Seven and B'Elanna had been trying to skirt the edges of the storm on the way to the planet that was their destination, hoping that the extra time wouldn't cut too badly into the time needed to mine the dilithium that was the main objective of their present away mission. The shuttles for science and exploration vessels, such as the Intrepid-class USS Voyager, were built tough but the combination of disasters had battered the poor craft as Seven and B'Elanna had battled valiantly to hold the shuttle together and on a course for safety.  
  
Communications had been the first system to fail, followed in rapid succession by navigation, all the exterior sensors and for a brief, very worrying moment, the shields and life support. B'Elanna's quick thinking and Seven's steady hand had quickly gotten those two areas up and running again. Seven had managed to get the sensors up, using the console in front of the pilot's seat to divert power to where it was needed. B'Elanna had clambered to the back of the shuttle, taking down covers and digging into the innards of the shuttle, before managing to get the shields bolstered and a bit more power to engines, but not before being ricocheted around the cabin, various loose tools turning into dangerous projectiles as the shuttle bucked and jolted through another wave of the storm. The blow to her temple had happened just as everything came back online and she had strapped herself in. A bloody hyperspanner rested in her lap, blood glistering on it in mute testimony.  
  
Seven took in the scene behind her in seconds before returning her attention to the task in front of her, trying to safely land the severely damaged shuttle.   
  
"Shields at 30%. Power at 70% and falling."  
  
Seven's hands were steady on the controls, smoothly adjusting as much as she could with the damaged systems to the outside turbulence. She scanned as best she could, the uninhabited planet's surface filling her view screen, looking for the optimum place to land.  
  
"Computer, extend landing gear. Prepare for impact." Seven's cool, unemotional voice gave the commands, not reflecting one iota of the terror screaming in the depth's of the ex-drone's mind or the bone-deep fear that B'Elanna was gravely injured.  
  
"Unable to comply. Landing gear inoperable. Shields are holding. Power is at 50% and falling."  
  
The turbulence increased as the shuttle screamed through layers of thunderstorm clouds. Seven's grip tightened on the controls as several different landing areas flashed across a screen in front of her and were as quickly discarded as unsuitable for a crash landing with no landing gear. She finally settled on the last option, a large lake near the centre of the smallest continent, just south of the equator. Scans showed that the flora and fauna in the area could support human life and that there were no serious threats. Several types of large life forms were detected, most with herbivorous tendencies. If they were stuck on the planet for an extended period of time, they should be able to survive off the land before being rescued by Voyager. The lake would offer a water landing, a safer option than crashing on land.  
  
With a game plan firmly in mind, Seven quickly plotted the course, hoping that the Navigation system would hold out until they had landed. The turbulence eased off as the shuttle passed through the thunderstorm system and the flying smoothed out. Keeping a worried eye o0n the power levels, Seven quickly unbuckled and hurried over to B'Elanna. Up close, the damage she had suffered was worse than she had feared. Whipping out a tricorder and scanning the half-Klingon, Seven's heart almost stopped beating as she realised the massive amount of internal damage. B'Elanna's secondary systems were just barely keeping her alive.  
  
"Power at 40% and falling."  
  
Seven ran some quick calculations and realised that they would just reach her landing area, with no power to spare for any fancy manoeuvres. She had 10 minutes, and made the most of her time. She used the emergency medical tricorder to mend as much of the damage to B'Elanna as she could, and then grabbed the emergency packs and evac suits from their storage units. It was a risk moving B'Elanna, given the severity of her injuries, but Seven believed that the added protection of the evac suit might just make the difference between life and death.  
  
As quickly as she possibly could, Seven unstrapped B'Elanna and eased her into her suit. She then carried B'Elanna to the co-pilot's seat and securely fastened her safety harness, securing her emergency pack to the back of the seat. She then roughly shoved herself into her out evac suit, her eyes rapidly flitting between the Nav control screen and the console showing the power readings.  
  
"Power at 20% and falling."  
  
Seven scrambled for her seat, tightening straps with one hand as the other tapped at the console in front of her, setting off the distress beacon. That would give Captain Janeway something to home in on when they scanned for them.  
  
"Seven of Nine to Voyager ? Seven to Captain Janeway." One last-ditch effort to hail Voyager located on the other side of the ion storm. No reply.  
  
"Power at 10 % and falling."  
  
At the computer's soft toned warning, Seven's grip tightened on the flight controls and she focused all of her attention on the upcoming landing. A comment once made by Tom Paris briefly surfaced. He had once joked that there were no such things as bad landings. If you walked away from it, it was a good landing. Seven really hoped that this would be a good landing.  
  
"Power has failed."   
  
With that final warning, the shuttle went dark as all the systems shut down, the only one still running being that of life support, running on the emergency power supply built in for just this type of situation. The shuttle immediately started dropping towards the planet's surface, as propulsion was lost.  
  
Assimilation tubules erupted from the back of Seven's Borg-enhances left hand, punching into the control panel in front of her. Using the final flickers of power remaining, Seven bypassed the safeties and routed the power from life support to the flight controls. Once done, she finessed the flaps of the shuttle, heading it straights for the lake in a very controlled glide. She bled speed as much as she dared, not wanting to fall short of the lake. The lake represented the best chance of walking away from the crash landing to follow. With one last glance at the unconscious beauty at her side, checking that her helmet was secured and that she was adequately strapped in, Seven brought the shuttle down.  
  
The shuttle skipped across the surface of the lake, velocity being lost with every skip, further damaging the already wounded hull, causing it to start to give with the pressure. The two passengers inside were tossed about, the safety harnesses the only thing keeping them from forcibly being flung around like rag dolls. With one final skip, the shuttle came to rest about 150 metres from the opposite shore, and immediately started to sink.  
  
Seven shook her head, slightly dazed, and it took her a moment to realise that time was rapidly running out. Quickly releasing her and B'Elanna's harnesses, she strapped both emergency packs to her back, and then gently carried B'Elanna to the emergency hatch, holding her as if she was the most precious of gifts. And to Seven, she was.  
  
Seven had long ago realised that she loved the feisty Chief Engineer, the only person other than the Captain and Naomi Wildman who was honest in her dealings with the ex-Borg. B'Elanna Torres didn't hide her feelings and opinions behind a mask, acting one way to her face and vicious nastiness whispered not so quietly behind her back. Seven had always known exactly where she stood with the engineer, and had acted accordingly. Their legendary animosity had resulted in some spectacular fights, almost verging on outright violence. This often resulted in being called into the Captain's ready room for a reaming out. This was usually followed by a lecture on the proper behaviour expected from Starfleet officers in general and her senior staff in particular. Her disappointment was also made clear. After 2 years of this, it had almost become a game, both enjoying the vigorous give and take of their arguments; of heated discussions with the only other person who could actually understand the intricacies of engineering they most often were in disagreement about. B'Elanna's fire and passion pitted against Seven's cool logic and researched results. So far, neither one had managed to best the other for long. And somewhere along the way, the animosity had given way to grudging respect and admiration had grown until the two combatants had become the best of friends. They had much in common, after all. All these feelings had continued to deepen and develop for Seven, until she couldn't imagine her life without B'Elanna, her best friend, her love. It was an undeclared love though. Seven was terrified of losing her friendship with B'Elanna, didn't want to risk the uncertainty of telling B'Elanna of her feelings and possibly being rejected. Seven had no idea if B'Elanna had similar feelings for her and didn't want to experience the same pain and rejection that B'Elanna had experienced when Tom Paris had ended their relationship. No, in her mind, it was better to remain as friends.  
  
Seven quickly collected the phasers from the weapons locker, strapping them on and releasing the emergency hatch located in the ceiling of the cabin. By this stage the shuttle was two thirds under water and sinking fast. Water was already gushing on through small breaches in the outer hull, hurrying on the sinking of the shuttle.  
  
After checking that B'Elanna's evac suit was not punctured and that her helmet was still securely sealed, Seven eased B'Elanna, the emergency packs and herself out onto the roof of the shuttle. The sight of the broken, blackened hull shocked her for a moment as she realised just how close to total disaster they had come.  
  
After one last check on the still unconscious B'Elanna, Seven manoeuvred towards the stern of the shuttle, as it was sinking at a more rapid rate. With B'Elanna resting on her back, Seven slid into the water and started a steady, determined backstroke for the shore. The going was slow, and exhausting, and Seven's nanoprobes worked overtime to combat the exertion Seven was putting her body through.  
  
Seven eventually felt her foot brush against the bottom of the lake and gratefully stood up. She checked on B'Elanna for the nth time, worried about her continued lack of consciousness. She should have started reviving already. With B'Elanna safely in her arms, Seven sloshed the last five metres to dry land, her eyes seeking a safe place to set up camp. Having come ashore close to a stream that fed into the lake, she followed it a short distance and came across a small clearing in the forest that surrounded the lake. Deciding that this would do for the moment, Seven gently lowered B'Elanna to a soft, mossy spot. She then detached the emergency packs from both of their evac suits, undid both of their helmets and dug out the medical tricorder.  
  
A look of horror crossed her face as she realised that B'Elanna's condition was worsening. While there was not more internal bleeding, B'Elanna had a bad concussion, numerous ribs were cracked or broken, as well as her left wrist. One of the broken ribs had punctures a lung. Luckily B'Elanna's Klingon physiology had caused that lung to shut down, her secondary pulmonary system kicking in. Her one kidney was beyond repair and the rest of her organs were severely bruised. And this was after being mended as much as was possible with the basic equipment available on board the shuttle. B'Elanna's body was in deep shock and was on the verge of shutting down totally.  
  
While Seven's mind scrambled, looking for a solution, she made B'Elanna as comfortable as possible and proceeded to set up a rudimentary camp. The Starfleet issued emergency shelter was quick and easy to set up and two or more could be joined together to make a larger shelter. Once everything was set up to her satisfaction, Seven brought B'Elanna in to the shelter and settled her into one of the sleeping bags, after stripping the damp evac suits off both of them.  
  
Seven's clever mind had come up with a possible solution. It was very risky, and she wasn't sure if she could do it, but he alternative was unthinkable. She was no doctor, and even if she was, she did not have the equipment to perform the necessary surgeries. What she was, was Borg. And as a Borg, she had nanoprobes that healed any injury that her body sustained. Her body at the moment had numerous cuts and abrasions that were already more than half healed. After having gone through all the possible options she could think of, only one remained. The only option was to assimilate B'Elanna. To give her the ability to build her own nanoprobes and heal herself. The process would have to be very carefully done as Seven only wanted to partially assimilate her. Just enough to give her what she needed. Too much would tip the precarious balance that was B'Elanna's life.  
  
Seven was terrified. Added to all the uncertainties that Seven faced was B'Elanna's reaction to her assimilation. B'Elanna's opinion on being assimilated was well known. She felt great horror at the thought, and had stated on numerous occasions that she would rather die than be assimilated. Although, to Seven's recollection, B'Elanna was more horrified at the thought of having her free will stripped away, being forced to do things that she would never willingly do. Seven searched her eidetic memory, going through all the discussions that the two of them had ever had about the subject, trying to decide if she had the right to do this. Seven balanced B'Elanna's life on one side, and all the possible ramifications on the other and decided that even if B'Elanna hated her as a result and wanted nothing more to do with her ? well, at least she'd still be alive to do so.  
  
Determination flashing in her eyes, Seven reached out with her left hand and gently brushed strands of dark hair out of B'Elanna's face and softly traced the ridges on her forehead. Her hand briefly caressed the soft cheek, before settling just over her collarbone. Seven set the tricorder to continuously scan B'Elanna every couple of minutes and took a moment to take in the beautiful features before her.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Seven focused her attention inward towards her cortical node, and set about programming the assimilation nanoprobes for a partial assimilation. She discarded the instructions that called for all unnecessary implants, keeping only those needed for the production, maintenance and control of the nanoprobes. This meant that B'Elanna would have to have her own cortical implant, which Seven modified so that the Borg Queen would never be able to access it and that no Borg would be able to control B'Elanna through it. That would hopefully reassure B'Elanna, having taken care of the possibility that her free will would be taken away from her. The other implants were also modified, built to be powered by the bioelectricity of B'Elanna's own body, hence no need for regeneration.   
  
Once Seven was certain she had done the most she could with regards to the reprogramming of her nanoprobes, she made one last scan of B'Elanna's body. B'Elanna was steadily worsening. The assimilation would have to be done immediately. After taking a moment to centre herself, Seven slowly lent forward and gently brushed her lips against those of B'Elanna.   
  
"I love you, my warrior. Please keep fighting. I need you. Please!" With those heartfelt words, Seven's assimilation tubules erupted from the back of her hand and snaked towards B'Elanna's neck. For one, eternal, moment, Seven looked in to her beloved's face, then the tubules punched into B'Elanna's neck. For the first time, Seven saw a reaction from B'Elanna as she flinched slightly from the pain. The grimace quickly eased off her face as the reprogrammed nanoprobes poured into her bloodstream, releasing a mild painkiller, and busily setting forth to build the necessary implants. Seven kept a worried eye on the tricorder, keeping a check on B'Elanna's life signs. They were fluctuating slightly, her heart rate up and her brainwaves more active. The rest of her life signs were stable, which was a good sign. At least the nanoprobes weren't worsening her condition. The last instruction she had given the nanoprobes were to take the necessary materials from her body, so as not to deplete B'Elanna's diminished reserves.   
  
Seven could feel the slight drain on her systems, her nanoprobes quickly working to balance it out. With one last scan of B'Elanna's body, Seven withdrew her tubules, watching with satisfaction as the holes they had created quickly scabbed over. She knew then that B'Elanna's nanoprobes were well established and were well on the way to fixing the damage to B'Elanna's body. Already Seven could see the pallor of B'Elanna's face fade, the ashen tones returning to the normal caramel colour that so fascinated her. The tricorder had shown that the healing process was progressing satisfactorily and Seven dropped back onto her sleeping bag, suddenly weak in reaction to the whole situation. The only visible reminder of B'Elanna's assimilation was a small starburst implant that gleamed just above her left temple, giving access to B'Elanna's cortical node.  
  
After giving herself a moment to gather her thoughts and emotions, Seven pushed up and after one last glance at B'Elanna, headed outside. There was work to be done before B'Elanna regained consciousness. Seven made a quick list of things that needed to be done before sunset, which would be in the next two hours.   
  
First and foremost, a quick scan of the surroundings. Using her tricorder, Seven scanned for any dangerous creatures in the vicinity. No large creatures registered at all on the tricorder. The shuttle crash had undoubtedly sent all the creatures running and would take a while for them to make their way back. Seven places motion sensors around the clearing, setting them to warn them if anything larger that a Terran housecat came into the clearing. Size did not always indicate the level of danger of a creature. Once that was done, Seven scanned the water of the stream, checking for any dangerous microorganisms. After being satisfied that the water was safe, Seven filled the canteens that came with the emergency packs. The next job was to scavenge for suitable vegetation to eat. The emergency packs came with a four week supply each of emergency rations but Seven had long since come to the realisation that taste was not, in fact, irrelevant and would prefer fresh food, if at all possible. After half an hour, Seven made her way back to camp with her pack full of various roots and fruits. While hunting for foodstuffs, Seven had noted several locations where the local fauna made their way to water. Traps could be set up at a later date, meat being a nice alternative to rations, fruit and vegetables.  
  
The whole time Seven had been away from the camp, the medical tricorder had been set to scan B'Elanna every 5 minutes, and the results of the scan being sent to the tricorder that Seven had taken with her. Because of this, Seven knew that B'Elanna's condition was much improved and that she would soon be regaining consciousness. Seven was both relieved and anxious. Relieved that her idea had worked, anxious because she was not sure of B'Elanna's reaction to what had been done to her.  
  
Setting her pack just inside the shelter, Seven made her way to where B'Elanna was resting. B'Elanna looked much better than before. The cuts and bruises were still visible, but Seven knew that that was because the nanoprobes had started work on the most life-threatening injuries first. Given a bit of time, Seven knew that B'Elanna would be fully healed. Her own injuries had long since been healed. Satisfied that B'Elanna was resting comfortably, Seven set up the cooking unit and set a container of water on it to heat. She wished to clean the blood and dirt off of B'Elanna's face and hands, knowing it would make her feel better.   
  
Going to the stream and scrubbing at the dirt on her own hands and face while the water heated inside, Seven made a list of the things they needed to do to set up a more permanent camp. Salvaging what they could from the sunken shuttle would have to be a priority. Many things from the shuttle could be put to use, though how much of it would be too damaged by the water remained to be seen.   
  
Once she was clean, Seven made her way back to the shelter, noticing that the heated water was ready. Digging out a clean cloth, Seven settled down next to B'Elanna's sleeping bag, warm water and soap at the ready. Seven gently wiped away the blood crusted on B'Elanna's temple, following the blood where it had run down her cheek and along her jaw. The dirt smudged across her forehead and other cheek was wiped off next. Seven took this rare opportunity to examine the sleeping beauty, slowly tracing the four gentle ridges proudly denoting her Klingon heritage. The long lashes hiding the dark depths of B'Elanna's flashing brown eyes, the gentle sweep of her eyebrows, the surprisingly delicate ears. Seven gently rested her hand on B'Elanna's soft cheek, her thumb brushing across the soft bottom lip.  
  
"My warrior. I wish you would wake. I would like to know that all is well with you." Seven's quiet whisper broke the silence, her love clearly audible as her voice broke. A tear slowly made it's way from one bright blue eye, dropping to rest, glistening, on the back of Seven's other hand, clutching at the cloth. Seven swallowed the lump in her throat at the thought of how close she had been to losing her love. After taking a moment to get her emotions under control, Seven continued with her cleaning, first of one hand, then the other, all her attention given over to the gentle cleaning.


	2. Chapter 2

B'Elanna first became aware of gentle warmth against her cheek, followed by a soft touch on her bottom lip. She struggled to focus, her mind all jumbled up, almost overloaded with information, thoughts, feelings. A soft whisper cut through the panic that was starting to form as B'Elanna realised that she did not feel quite … right in her own body.  
  
"My warrior. I wish you would wake. I would like to know that all is well with you."  
  
B'Elanna's hearts clenched at the heartbreak and love audible in the quietly spoken words. She had yearned for so long to hear that depth of love spoken to her, love to equal that which she felt for her love, her third heart. B'Elanna slowly realised that her love, her Soch, was gently washing her face, then her hands.   
  
Fighting through the confusion and the almost alien feel of her mind, B'Elanna slowly opened her eyes, squinting them at the stab of pain that caused an instant headache … that faded as soon as it had started. This went unnoticed as the beautiful, breathtaking face hovering over her transfixed B'Elanna. She had never seen so much naked emotion on Seven's face, though she had learnt to read the subtle signs that Seven had been unable to conceal completely. The soft, blue eyes almost glowed with love and concern, a gentle frown creasing Seven's forehead as she concentrated on her task. Seven's beautiful blonde hair has totally escaped the confines of her bun and framed her face, softening her features considerably.  
  
A soft, incredulous smile crept over B'Elanna's face as she watched how lovingly Seven was taking care of her. Perhaps the love she felt was not as one-sided as she had previously thought. Taking one last moment to memorise the vision before her, B'Elanna gently squeezed the hand gently holding her own.  
  
Seven's reaction was immediate. Her head whipped up and her eyes zeroed in on warm, brown ones, filled with emotion.  
  
"B'Elanna! You are awake! How do you feel?" Seven's joy was obvious, as was her concern.  
  
"I feel as weak as a targh kit. What happened? And where are we? The last I recall, I was being bounced around the cabin while I was trying to secure myself in a seat." That was when B'Elanna realised that she was definitely not on board the shuttle anymore. And this definitely wasn't the Sickbay on board Voyager. If she was not very much mistaken, this appeared to be an emergency shelter.  
  
"You lost consciousness as result of a blow to your temple, due to a flying hyperspanner. We were forced to crash-land on the planet surface, making use of a large body of water. I managed to get a distress signal off before the shuttle crashed and was submerged in the lake. You were gravely injured and I had to take extreme measures to save you. I then secured the campsite and scavenged for food. I have just recently returned and was proceeding in cleaning the blood and dirt off you when you awoke."  
  
Seven's reply was as cool and efficient as one of her reports at the senior staff meetings, no emotions showing through. B'Elanna could read between the lines, as it were, and could see the fear lurking in Seven's eyes.  
  
"Okay," she said slowly. "What extreme measures were you referring to? And why do I feel not quite myself?"  
  
Seven's eyes dropped to her hands, which were tightly clenched around one another. She visibly swallowed before slowly bringing her eyes back up to B'Elanna's quizzical brow eyes.  
  
"I …", Seven's voice gave out, forcing her to clear her throat. After another pained moment, she continued.  
  
"I assimilated you", came the soft, fearful whisper. "Your body was so badly damaged that your secondary systems were starting to give out. I did not have the necessary tools to repair you, so I did the only thing left to me. I modified my nanoprobes and assimilated you."  
  
B'Elanna was shocked to say the least. Her wide eyes took in the pale face of Seven, before the blonde head ducked down, avoiding eye contact. What Seven had said ran through her head. That would explain why she didn't feel quite the same as she had before. As she concentrated, she became aware of all sorts of data. B'Elanna sat up abruptly, startling Seven.   
  
"I have a cortical node, don't I? What other implants do I have?" With that, B'Elanna quickly ran her hands over her body, relieved to find that nothing had changed. It was only as she was examining her face that she discovered the only external implant. Gently running her fingers over the warm metal, she turned her attention to Seven. She stopped her examination as she became aware of Seven, or more exactly, her behaviour.   
  
As B'Elanna had checked her body for implants, Seven had stiffened in fear, then shrunk into herself, arms wrapped around herself, preparing for the outburst that was sure to follow. She braced herself for the hate and disgust she was sure that was going to be hurled at her, her heart slowly breaking at the thought.  
  
B'Elanna's hearts clenched at the sight before her. She had never in her life before seen such heartbreak and fear. And her twin hearts ached for the vulnerable soul that was being revealed to her. B'Elanna couldn't believe that Seven thought that she would hate her for saving B'Elanna's life.   
  
Realising just how deep Seven's fear was, B'Elanna slowly eased to her knees and reached out to Seven, resting her hand lightly on a hunched shoulder. Seven flinched at the gentle touch, so deeply had she withdrawn form her surroundings. Wide, teary, blue eyes flickered up to briefly meet B'Elanna's before dropping to the ground again.  
  
"Oh, Seven"  
  
The utter heartbreak in the quick peek into Seven's soul tore through B'Elanna and she quickly scooted up to Seven and wrapped her up in her arms, tightening them when Seven made a move to break free. The terrified ex-drone stilled, fine tremors wracking her body.  
  
"Sh, Seven. It's all right … it's okay … sh, now. It's all going to be fine. Please don't cry. I can't stand to see you cry, my Soch"   
  
B'Elanna's tender words washed over Seven, calming her, as did the gentle rocking motion. The feel of B'Elanna's body pressing along her side and arms wrapped protectively around her, the warmth of her higher body temperature, the pure emotion in B'Elanna's voice seeped into Seven and served to warm her heart, previously frozen with fear and self-loathing. They stayed that way, B'Elanna murmuring comforting words, Seven slowly realising that B'Elanna's reaction was sincere and heartfelt until the emotional storm had subsided.  
  
By the time Seven had stopped trembling in B'Elanna's arms, both of them had relaxed against the side of the shelter, comfortably wrapped up in each other's arms. The light was slowly fading outside as the sun sank below the horizon, signalling the end of a very long day.  
  
B'Elanna was the first to break the peaceful silence.  
  
"Thank you, Seven. I'm not sure exactly how you did it but thank you for saving my life. I shudder to think how bad my injuries must have been but I know that you took the best course of action available to you. So, thanks."  
  
B'Elanna's voice was soft, her breath hitching at the enormity of the whole situation. Seven just burrowed her head deeper into the crook of B'Elanna's neck where it had come to rest once the two of them had settled against the side of the shelter. She could feel B'Elanna's lifeblood surge through her jugular as she pressed her forehead closer to B'Elanna, the unique pulse of the half-Klingon reassuring her that all was well with her love.  
  
B'Elanna softly smiled as Seven snuggled closer, finding the thought of an ex-Borg snuggling impossibly endearing. She brushed a feather soft kiss across the top of the blond head before asking for more details of her assimilation.  
  
Seven reluctantly drew back from her comfortable shelter, wishing to see B'Elanna's face when she explained the procedure she had done. She explained the modifications to the assimilation nanoprobes she had sent coursing into B'Elanna, how she had limited the level of assimilation, emphasising the fact that there was no way that any Borg could ever simply just sweep into B'Elanna's mind and take control of her actions. As she made this perfectly clear, the last of the tension remaining in B'Elanna's body drained away.  
  
How like Seven to realise the heart of her fears of assimilation, the loss of her free will. And how very like her best friend to make sure that nothing would take that away from her, directly or indirectly through her actions. The relief flooded through B'Elanna's body, leaving her temporarily light-headed. This was quickly rectified, something that wasn't lost on the engineer.  
  
"So, I have a cortical node, like you do, that monitors my body and nanoprobes and keeps everything running at optimal levels, right?"  
  
Seven nodded her head, her eyes fastened to B'Elanna's face, reading every thought and emotion that passed over her very expressive face. B'Elanna's reactions to the whole situation were really not what she had expected. Oh, she was mightily relieved that B'Elanna was taking the whole situation so well. She was just surprised. Although B'Elanna's curiosity was to be expected. Her fascination with anything to do with engineering was well known, as was her curiosity.  
  
Seven reached for the medical tricorder and showed B'Elanna exactly what changes had been made to her body. Other than the cortical node, the temple implant and other internal implants to do with the manufacture and maintenance of her nanoprobes, nothing else had been changed. She was still the same Human/Klingon hybrid she had been before … she was just sporting some additional hardware.  
  
"This is fascinating, Seven. The intricacies of what you've done are amazing. And with the time restraints you had … it's amazing. You're amazing! I don't know what I would have done in a similar situation. All I can say is that this was a most elegant solution to the problem. I sincerely doubt if the doctor would have been able to do better were he in a similar situation."  
  
The admiration in B'Elanna's voice washed over Seven, lightening her heart. She was finally accepting the fact that B'Elanna had no regrets about what she had done, that she hadn't lost her best friend. She let this thought settle in her mind and breathed easy.  
  
Seven quirked her implant when a loud grumble erupted from B'Elanna's middle. Her corner of her mouth twitched up into a half-smile as a blushing B'Elanna grabbed at her stomach, a sheepish expression crossing her face.  
  
"From the echo in your stomach, I'd have to say that you must be starving. I have collected some of the local vegetation that is compatible with our digestive systems. Hopefully we will be able to have a palatable, and filling, meal." Seven's voice was very dry, her amusement at B'Elanna's embarrassment quite obvious.  
  
"Yeah, I'm hungry enough to eat a targh, fur and all. Let's get food started and get settled for the night."  
  
"Acceptable. I have set up the perimeter sensors and collected sufficient water for our immediate needs. Tomorrow we can investigate the wreck of the shuttle for salvageable goods and improve our campsite. By my calculations, the ion storm will keep Voyager from receiving our distress signal for a week. It will take at least that long for the strength of the storm to subside to that level. I'd calculate an additional 2 or 3 days before Voyager will be able to pass through the remainder of the storm to our location."  
  
"All right, that sounds about right. We have enough rations in the emergency packs you rescued to last us well beyond that but quite frankly, they taste like targh crap and the emergency would have to be pretty damn dire for me to eat them willingly!"  
  
The expression of utter disgust on B'Elanna's face was reflected on Seven's as she rummaged through the edibles she had collected. She passed a couple of pear-like fruits to B'Elanna before slicing the vegetables she'd found into a pot of boiling water. Vegetable stew was on the menu tonight.  
  
"B'Elanna, how do you feel?" Seven had been observing B'Elanna as she had explored their shelter. She didn't seem to be in any pain and all the cuts and bruises had fully healed by this time.  
  
"I don't really feel any different. There's just this … feeling I have, as if there's something that I'm just not remembering. That's the best way I can describe it. Other than that, I feel fine. In fact, other than being ravenous, I haven't felt this great in quite a while! I still cannot believe how badly injured I was. If I hadn't seen those readings on the medical tricorder for myself, I really wouldn't have believed it. These nanoprobes of ours are quite the handy little buggers, aren't they?" B'Elanna flashed a quick grin before turning back to her inspection of the contents of the emergency packs.  
  
Seven sat back, stunned. With that one sentence, those two words, B'Elanna had totally demolished any further doubts Seven had harboured about B'Elanna's true feelings on the subject of her partial assimilation.   
  
'Our nanoprobes'  
After taking a moment to swallow the lump that had grown in her throat, Seven answered in her best Borg voice.  
  
"Yes, they are most efficient. They will keep your body at peak performance."  
  
At this, B'Elanna whipped around to stare at Seven, before bursting out in delighted laughter. B'Elanna's humour was infectious and Seven found that she couldn't keep the smile off her face, her eyes softening to a bright sky-blue at the sight of B'Elanna's joyful face. She wasn't sure why B'Elanna found what she said so funny but her heart warmed at having made her laugh.  
  
B'Elanna eventually calmed down, the odd chortle still trickling out. She noted the puzzled smile of Seven's face, the warm affection in the bright blue eyes.   
A stray thought tickled at the back of her mind but didn't surface. B'Elanna pushed it away, knowing that these thoughts often percolated for a bit before coming more fully to her attention. Instead, she answered Seven's unspoken question.  
  
"I've always maintained that you would assimilate my engines if you could. I've managed to keep you out of them all these years so you did the next best thing … you assimilated me!"  
  
B'Elanna burst out laughing again at the look of pure shock on Seven's face. The realisation that B'Elanna was actually joking about the whole situation made it's its way through her shocked mind and Seven saw the humour in the whole situation. A small smile eased across her mouth, slowly growing until she was softly laughing along with B'Elanna.   
  
The two of them eventually collapsed in front of the cooking unit, weakly struggling to get their breaths back, grinning madly at each other.  
  
Seven quickly examined the stew and proclaimed it ready for consumption. She dished up a healthy portion for B'Elanna, a smaller one for herself, and they both settled back to replenish their bodies' diminished reserves.   
  
The meal was a quiet affair, with many quick glances and soft smiles between the two.  
  
"Thanks for that, Seven. It was actually quite tasty. It certainly hit the spot."  
  
B'Elanna collected the dirty dishes and stacked them together by the exit of the shelter with the intention of washing them in the morning.  
  
"I don't know about you but I'm quite tired now. I think I'll turn in and get some rest. Tomorrow promises to be another long day."  
  
"I agree. I find that I am also quite weary. I do believe that I will have little trouble achieving sleep tonight."  
  
"Seven, how long was it since your last regeneration? And when would you need to regenerate again?" B'Elanna's concern was immediate, the frown on her face indicating her worry.  
  
"I had completed an 8 hour regeneration cycle just before reporting for our away mission. If I get sufficient sleep and sustenance, I will not need to regenerate for another 8 days. After this, I will quickly lose efficiency."  
  
"Kahless! So if Voyager doesn't rescue us in just over a week's time, we are really going to be in a jam, aren't we? Is there anything else we can do? Is the shuttle salvageable?" B'Elanna started pacing; her agitation quite obvious as she ran her hands through her hair and rubbed at her ridges.  
  
Seven quickly stepped up to the agitated half-Klingon and rested a hand on her shoulder, bringing her to a halt.  
  
"Do not worry, B'Elanna. There is plenty of time yet. The ion storm may subside sooner than I predict or Voyager could get here sooner that I think. There are many variables we have not taken into consideration yet. We will work on this tomorrow. For right now, we need to get some rest. Sunrise will be in another 8.5 hours."  
  
At Seven's words B'Elanna slowly relaxed. She stared into brilliant blue eyes, reading the reassurance there. With a soft smile, she brushed her knuckles across a soft check.  
  
"Don't go troubling trouble, hey?"  
  
"No. Not until trouble troubles us."  
  
With a quick smile at Seven's dry comeback B'Elanna settled down into her sleeping bag and watched as Seven settled down next to her in her own. Once they were both comfortable, B'Elanna turned out the camp light and snuggled down, listening to the gentle sounds of Seven's breathing.  
  
"Good night, Seven, sleep tight."  
  
"Hope the bedbugs don't bite"  
  
"You've been spending too much time around Naomi, I can tell", B'Elanna chuckled.   
  
"Sweet dreams."  
  
With that final wish, two tired souls slowly gave in to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun peeked over the horizon, letting its light flow over the landscape, illuminating a light mist hovering over the lake, sparkling on the ripples of the stream running past an occupied clearing. Some creatures sought their shelters for the day while others woke, stretched and set out for a new day.   
  
The sun continued to rise; its light eventually shining on a Starfleet emergency shelter. The call of the day eventually caused some stirring within.  
  
Warmth. That was the first sensation to register. A soft weight pressing along the left half of her body, the second. The third, and the one to force her slowly wakening mind clear, was the press of a leg thrown over her own, an arm laying across her torso with a hand resting over her heart and a head nestling on her shoulder, forehead pressed into her neck.  
  
Seven's mind snapped into awareness, her body tensing slightly. She slowly eased her head to the side and rolled her eyes down. Yes, she was not dreaming. B'Elanna was, in fact, resting peacefully, snuggled up to her Borg pillow. Seven shivered slightly as she registered the feeling of B'Elanna's exhalations as they blew softly over her collarbone. Her heart filled with love as she realised that B'Elanna had moved closer to her during the night for comfort and warmth.  
  
Slowly, carefully, she eased her arm around B'Elanna, pulling her closer. B'Elanna stirred, causing Seven to anxiously freeze, snuggled closer to Seven, murmuring under her breath until she was comfortable again and carried on sleeping.   
  
A slow smile eased across Seven's face. She gently brushed a few strands of hair off B'Elanna's forehead and tucked them behind her ear, then softly traced the Klingon ridges on B'Elanna's forehead that so fascinated her. Presented with this unique opportunity, Seven softly, lovingly, caressed the features of her love. A soft, sweet smile curved B'Elanna's mouth and a sigh of contentment feathered across her collarbone. Tracing the delicate curve of her ear, brushing across the soft caramel cheek, up the strong jaw line and across her temple back up to her forehead. Her fingers passed over the only visible sign of the ordeal that B'Elanna had so recently been through, paused, and delicately traced the starburst shape.   
  
Her breath caught at the reminder of just how close she had come to losing her love, and trembled out again. Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of never having the opportunity to hold B'Elanna, much as she was doing now, of never having whispered her declaration of love into that delicate ear. Her heart ached at just how close it had been to living a life devoid of all colour, all emotion.   
  
Seven moved her hand down to her chest, intending to rub at the ache, and closed over B'Elanna's hand already resting there, as if in protection of the delicate organ. The ache eased as Seven traced over the soft skin and tendons of B'Elanna's deceptively delicate hand. She knew the strength on that hand, having witnessed many times as these hands repaired damage done to Voyager, at times involved with small intricate repairs requiring patience, at others with those requiring brute strength and perseverance. She covered B'Elanna's hand and pressed it to her chest.   
  
Seven's voiced whispered out, choked with emotion, "This heart is yours, my warrior, and it beats for you. Do with it what you will."  
  
\- - -   
  
B'Elanna was having such a pleasant dream.   
  
It involved herself, Seven and an old picnic blanket spread out under a huge old oak. Remnants of their picnic was scattered about and the two were cuddled up on the blanket, B'Elanna draped over a very relaxed Seven. The sounds of summer were all around, children playing in the distance, birds singing in the trees, the drowsy buzz of insects. It was a perfect summer's day, warm with a hint of a breeze keeping everything bearable.  
  
Seven's arm tightened around her and B'Elanna snuggled closer, murmuring her contentment, nuzzling her face further into the warmth of Seven's neck. She could feel the throb of Seven's heart under her left hand; the steady beat lulling her into a sleepy state. She felt the soft touch as Seven brushed her hair off her forehead and behind her ears. Her lips curved in a sweet smile at the utter adoration she could feel through that simple gesture. Her skin tingled in the wake of Seven's trailing fingers, across her ridges, ear, cheek jaw and temple. She felt the pause and the gentle exploration of her implant, the extra sensitivity sending a tingle down her spine. She hadn't realised that implants were quite so sensitive. She filed that information away for future reference.  
  
B'Elanna felt the pause in her love's breathing, the tremble that travelled through Seven's body, the interruption in the steady throb under her hand. The sleepy contentment slowly cleared from her mind as she registered the strong emotion running through the body below her.  
  
The feel of Seven's hand covering hers, followed by slender fingers delicately exploring the contours of her hand, slowly pulled B'Elanna further out of the realms of sleep. At this, B'Elanna realised that she wasn't dreaming, at least not any more and she had in fact draped herself all over Seven during the night.  
  
When Seven pressed B'Elanna's hand close over her heart, B'Elanna's hearts skipped a beat.   
  
"This heart is yours, my warrior, it beats for you. Do with it what you will."  
  
At Seven's emotion-filled pledge, B'Elanna's hearts stopped beating for an endless moment, filling her chest with a bitter-sweet ache, before speeding up again to match the throb of the heart under her hand.  
  
An incredulous smile spread across B'Elanna's features, making her face glow with emotion. Slowly, she entwined her fingers with Seven's, pressing the joined hands even closer to that heart.   
  
She lifted her head, joyful brown eyes glistening with tears, to meet bright blue eyes, glowing from within with the conviction of Seven's love for her warrior.  
  
"My heart. You are my third heart. As yours beats for me, so mine beats for you"  
  
With this, B'Elanna pulled Seven's hand over to her own chest, pressing their joined hands over her own eight chambered heart.  
  
"Feel how it beats, beats in time with yours. Yours is mine, as mine are yours. Benal … my Soch … I will treasure this gift you have given me always. I vow never to take this gift for granted."  
  
At B'Elanna's heartfelt words, a tear escaped and slowly trickled down an alabaster cheek. B'Elanna released Seven's hand, gently wiping away the trail of moisture. She lovingly brushed back tendrils of blond hair, then cupped the side of Seven's face, her thumb softly tracing back and forth along her cheekbone.  
  
Seven turned her face slightly into the loving touch, her eyes closing at the tenderness, and brushed her lips across the pad of B'Elanna's thumb.  
  
B'Elanna's breath hitched in reaction to the feather soft kiss, feeling it all the way down to her toes. She raised herself up onto her elbow, still cradling Seven's face, and just looked in wonder at the blond beauty who had the courage to lay her heart bare. Blue eyes fluttered open and met loving brown, so much being communicated in just that one look. Love given back and forth, promises given and made.   
  
On a trembling sigh, B'Elanna slowly leant forward, desire darkened eyes flickering between soulful blue eyes and the moist, slightly parted lips, her intention more than clear. With a tremulous sigh of her own, Seven's lips curved with a sweet, shy smile and she tipped her chin to accept the kiss.  
  
At the first hesitant brush of lip on lip, twin gasps were heard as an almost electric shock sparked between them and raced through both of their bodies. The second brush was sweeter and the third surer. By the fourth, arms were tightly wrapped around each other, each trying to get as close to the other as possible. Lips parted and tongues explored uncharted territory. Love and desire swept along nerves and flowed through their veins, bringing soft flushes to both faces.  
  
Eventually breathing became an issue, even to nanoprobes enhanced bodies, and the two reluctantly parted with many a fleeting kiss. B'Elanna settled her head back into the crook of Seven's neck and inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet scent of vanilla, the faint tang of metal and the underlying scent that was pure Seven, committing the scent to memory, along with the incredible first kisses shared with her Soch.  
  
Seven's arms tightened around B'Elanna as she felt the tickle of her love's breath on her neck and she settled more comfortably, absorbing the feel of her delightful armful.  
  
A peaceful silence lingered as both absorbed the change in their relationship. Obviously, their love was NOT unrequited, unlike both had feared. Tender smiles wreathed both faces as the ramifications of their declarations became apparent. They basked in the glow of their declared love for a while before other thoughts surfaced.  
  
"So, Seven. Since you've assimilated me would that make me Eight of Ten, Tenth Adjunct of the Unimatrix 01?"  
  
The corner of B'Elanna's mouth quirked up slightly as she tried not to laugh as she asked the question and felt the surprised jerk in the body she was snuggled against.  
  
There was a small silence before Seven slowly answered, her feelings clear though she spoke with her most Borg like tone.  
  
"No, I would have to say that we have formed our own Unimatrix. That would make you One of Two, Primary Love of Unimatrix Hansen-Torres."  
  
Seven's answer blew through B'Elanna's mind as she realised that Seven had just declared that, to her mind, they were as good as married. The utter joy and happiness that followed in the wake of this realisation caused her breath to leave her body in a sob. She pushed herself up on her elbow again to meet the sincere blue eyes looking her way with a trace of concern.  
  
"Primary Love of Unimatrix Hansen-Torres … I love the sound of that. Though I think you are the Primary Love of our little Unimatrix."  
  
"We both are. This is a position that can be held by two, with neither being the lesser." Seven's tone was very definite on this point. B'Elanna just smiled, recognising that resistance in this instance would be futile, the look in her eye sparking in her blood.  
  
"I agree. However, Benal …" A quick brush of lips. "… as much as I would love to spend the rest of eternity here in your arms, I think we have things that we need to do that cannot be put off for too long. It is already quite a bit later than we had planned to start our day."  
  
The pout that settled over Seven's face was just too adorable for B'Elanna to resist. After one last, lingering kiss, B'Elanna forced herself to let go of her other half and get up. The soft whimper as Seven lost contact with B'Elanna was almost B'Elanna's undoing.  
  
"Please, my love, I'm trying to be responsible here. We need to gather more food and see what we can salvage from the shuttle to make our stay here as comfortable as possible. You'll thank me for it later, I promise."  
  
"I will comply … not happily, but I will comply."  
  
The sulky tones brought a laugh to B'Elanna's lips. With a quick tug on the hand still enclosed in her own, she pulled Seven to her feet and into her arms.  
  
"Don't worry, we'll get back to where we left off, I promise. I just want to get as many of the worries off my mind as possible. I'd feel better knowing our exact situation here. And when we get back to what we were doing … I plan to take my time. I don't want to be rushed."  
  
The last of this was uttered in such a husky tone that Seven immediately began to blush, tingles having raced through her body in reaction to the unspoken promise in B'Elanna's voice and hooded brown eyes.  
  
Once she got control herself under control, Seven levelled her own sultry look at her love.   
  
"I'll keep you to that. And I never forget a promise."  
  
With a last glance and smile at the flustered brunette, Seven collected the dirty dishes from the meal of the night before and headed to the stream.


End file.
